Immortal Love
by love those chocolate eyes
Summary: After losing her parents to a group of vampires, Wynn's only motivation for life is to get revenge. While on her quest, she meets Darius, who she later discovers is the son of the very vampire leader who killed her parents. Written '05-'06
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Clutching her prayer beads, 14-year-old Wynn ran through the rain and puddles. She was 5'3", had long, brunette locks, and deep green eyes. Determination to reach her destination, the police station, is what propelled her forward. As she was running, she whispered a prayer to God.

"Please God; please...let this all be a dream...please!"

Finally reaching the police station, Wynn burst in, breathless, and hurried to the officer on duty.

"Sir, help me, please. My parents are dead, those monsters killed them! They've killed them!"

This young girl had never been more terrified in her life. Other ends that her parents could have met played through her head hundreds of times. Yet, forgetting every previous thought, the blame was placed on one creature: the vampire.

"Miss, please. You are talking too fast. Slow down so I can understand what you are saying. Take a deep breath, and start over."

"My parents have been killed by vampires. They are dead; do you hear me?! They are dead!"

Since she was so young, her well-educated speech shocked the officer. Still, not believing in vampires, or any other supernatural creatures, the officer merely laughed and told her to go home and use her imagination there.

How could she go home? Her father's cold, dead, bloodless body was lying on the living room floor; her mother's severed head placed carefully in the freezer. A disaster is what her life had suddenly become and nobody would believe her story. Wasn't there anything else to do besides go home? No matter what she came up with, all solutions lead to going home. Apparently, that was the only thing she had left to do. So she went. As she was walking home, all she could think about was how stupid the officer had been.

'How could he not believe me,' she thought. 'Marks like that aren't from a murder weapon; they are most certainly bite marks! I'm sure they were vampires! I'm sure of it! Those evil, blood-lusting monsters should die!'

When she arrived home, Wynn wondered if she should turn the doorknob, if she should enter those cold, hollow halls. Wondering if she could take seeing her father's lifeless body on the living room floor surrounded by the blood spilled in the vampires' frantic rush to get out of the house before sunrise. Shaking, she stood at the door with her hand on the knob, trying to work up the courage to go inside.

The courage to enter finally rose within her, and Wynn turned the doorknob and stepped inside, shutting the door softly behind her. Her green eyes avoided the lifeless corpse that was lying in a heap on the floor. She quickly ran to her room to change into black pants, a black sweatshirt, and a navy blue baseball cap. A flashlight, extra batteries, an extra set of clothes, and every bit of cash she could find were all thrown into a backpack along with a knife that had an elaborately carved handle and a blood stained note that read:

"Their blood is our blood and soon your

blood as well will be with us. Don't

worry, young one; they went without

much suffering."

Biting back the anger at everything that had happened to her, she went downstairs. Again, her eyes remained glued to her feet and away from her father. Wynn quickly walked to the kitchen to get some food out of the pantry. As she gathered the food, she repeated a list of items she was going to need [over and over]. "Weapon, clothes, shelter...weapon, clothes, shelter..." True, it was a simple list, but she needed its contents to survive. Hopefully the mental note would stick in her head.

After she finished putting food into her backpack, she walked into the living room and took one last look at her father, blew him a sorrowful kiss and walked out the door.

She stood on the sidewalk and took one final look at her once-happy home, the only place she could have ever felt safe. Would she ever feel safe again? If so, where? She really didn't think it would ever happen again, and if it did, it wouldn't be for a long, long time.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

As she traveled from place to place, Wynn found this new lifestyle to be extremely harsh. Forced to migrate often and seek shelter in poor, run-down areas, this 14-year-old had to grow up fast. Needing food, she stopped in a market filled with strange people, and spoke with an equally odd vendor,

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Well, hello, cutie. What brings you here without and escort?"

"There is no reason, but I would like to buy some fruit from you."

"You would? Well then, what would you like to buy?"

While Wynn was picking out some fruit to buy, the vendor just stared at her with a wicked grin on his face. Suddenly, his hair changed to black and his eyes darkened. He threw the orange he was holding into the air, caught it, and replaced it on the pile. Wynn finished picking her fruit and gave him the money to pay for it.

"Thank you. I'm very grateful."

"Well, Wynn, you are very welcome."

"How--how do you know who I am?"

"I just thought Wynn suited you." The vendor shrugged innocently. "I didn't mean to scare you. Run along, young one, and stay away from strangers."

(This man just happened to be a spy for the very vampire after Wynn. His duty was to follow her around so when they wanted to kill her, it would be easy to find her.)

"Um...yes sir. I--I have to go."

Wynn picked up her bag of fruit and slowly backed away from the cart. Her back met with another cart before she turned and fled. Before she reached the up coming inn, she tripped and fell on her bag of fruit, crushing every piece.

"Oh, isn't that just great? How could I be so clumsy?"

While she was sitting on the ground sobbing (covered in crushed fruit), the manager from the inn saw her. He ran out to her to see if he could help her.

"Oh, you poor child. Are you alright? That was a nasty fall there, wasn't it? Now, stop crying; it's alright. Stand up and brush yourself off."

She wiped her eyes. "Thank you. I'm fine, really I am. I need to get to the inn and check in and find somewhere to work. I spent the last of my money on this--this fruit."

"Well, I am the owner of the inn and I could give you a job to pay for a stay at the inn. The extra money will be yours to keep. All you have to do is clean rooms and help my wife."

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course I would."

"Oh, thank you sir! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, little girl. Come on now. I can get you some clean clothes, supper, and a nice warm bed."

"It won't be for long; I promise. I'll only be here until I have enough money to--"

"Hush, hush, hush; you can stay here as long as you want, dear."

"Can I really stay as long as I want?"

"Of course you can, um..."

"My name is Wynn. Are you sure you won't mind having a little girl around?"

"Well, my wife will certainly adore you. She loves little girls and you can't be more than 12."

"I am 14, not 12! Don't you think 12 is an immature age? Why would I be wondering around nowhere--"

"Wynn! I'm sorry for that mistake. Can I ask you why you are wondering around?"

"My parents are--are--well, they're dead. They were killed b-by vampires. You probably don't even believe me...nobody does."

"I'm not like the rest of them; I believe you Wynn. I had a close encounter with a nasty old vampire once. He told me that my blood belonged to him and then he tried to bite me. I lit a match and caught his cape on fire. That drove him off. I was one of the lucky ones though. Anybody else would have been killed."

He gave a nervous laugh and opened the inn door. While she was walking inside, Wynn remembered the note that had been left in her house. The innkeeper led her into a lobby and sat down in a rather big chair.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to sit down, Wynn? Go on, sit."

"I'm fine standing for now. May I ask you a question?"

"Of course you may."

"That vampire told you that your blood belonged to him, right?"

"Yes he did. Why, is there something bothering you, dear?"

Wynn took the blood-stained note out of her bag and showed it to the innkeeper. His eyes widened as he read it.

"Oh dear God. That would be him alright. He uses the same line every time he threatens someone, I guess."

"All I know is, I have to keep running. He's going to kill me!"

Wynn started to cry and sat in one of the big chairs, bringing her knees to her chest. The innkeeper called for his wife to come help him. When she came in, she made the innkeeper leave the room so she could talk to Wynn.

"Poor baby! Alright now, stop that crying. I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yes it is! My parents are dead and I'm sure I'm next! How am I supposed to survive on my own?"

"It's alright. You're not alone anymore. I will take care of you and my husband will give you a job. You have nothing to worry about."

"What if that man finds me? What will happen?"

"I won't let him hurt you darling. You'll be safe here."

"I guess I can stay, but how long will I be allowed to stay here?"

"As long as you need dear. By the way, what is your name?"

"Wynn."

"Oh, that's really pretty. My name is Dolores. Don't worry Wynn; we'll keep you perfectly safe here."

"Thank you, Dolores."

"Come with me, hunny. I'll show you where your room is."

"Alright."

Dolores took Wynn to a cozy, single room and gave the child some clean clothes. After she left, Wynn sat on the bed and thought about how she make her hosts glad they had kept her around. She had just laid her head on the pillow and fallen asleep, when she was called for dinner.

"Wynn, hunny! It's time for dinner!"

"I'm coming!"

Wynn ran down the stairs and into the dining room. Dolores and the innkeeper were standing in the doorway waiting for her.

"I'm sorry for being late. I fell asleep."

It's quite alright dear. We haven't started yet."

"Thank you, Dolores. I am quite hungry. What are we going to eat for dinner?"

"What sounds good to you right now?"

"A salad sounds good to me."

A salad it is. I'll be right back, hunny."

Dolores went into the kitchen and brought out a salad for Wynn. They all sat down and started eating. Wynn stayed quiet so she didn't interrupt her hosts. She was very grateful these people were so kind and she feared that they would be angry if she spoke too much.

When all of them finished eating, they sat around the fireplace talking about Wynn's journey thus far. After they had had enough, the couple walked Wynn to her room and then went to bed themselves. As soon as Wynn's head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. She was smiling, glad that she had a bed to lie on.

While she was sleeping, she dreamed that her parents were alive. She dreamt that those evil vampires had never ruined her life and that she lived in a happy home once again.

Over the next two months, Wynn lived and worked at the inn alongside the innkeeper and his wife. Once she had made enough money to restart her journey, she said her goodbyes and tearily departed.

Again, she sought revenge. And again, she would stay in one town for quite some time. However, her belief in vampires would soon fade.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

//Two years later, Wynn, now 16, was still seeking revenge for her parents. The fall colors mesmerized her and put her in a relaxed state of mind. Little did she know, her life was about to drastically change.//

Her parents' deaths had struck a new part of Wynn. Over the two years that she had been traveling, she had become a lot less religious and a lot more focused on the destruction of her enemies. No longer did she carry a rosary, for it would scare her enemies away. Wynn wanted to kill them, not scare them. But she was lost, enchanted by the beauty of the trees changing colors for fall, and by the smell of pies being baked by women in their houses. Realizing she had lost her way, she cautiously approached a man for directions.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you point me to the nearest inn? I'm lost and having quite a bit of trouble locating one myself."

"Of course I can help, Miss. Just walk straight for two blocks. The inn is on the left side, two houses down from a Victorian manor."

"Thank you. I greatly appreciate your assistance."

"Not a problem, young lady."

She started walking the two blocks and stopped when she reached the Victorian manor, obsessing over its rustic beauty. Surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges and a tall metal gate, the magnificent building pulled her out of reality and into its mesmerizing beauty. The windows were darkened and mysterious, and Wynn wished she could have just one glance inside the beautiful manor. It looked abandoned, so she forgot that silly wish and moved on, bringing herself out of the trance and beginning to walk towards the inn.

The inn was across the street, but before she crossed, she spotted a puppy lying on the ground, apparently hurt. Wynn knelt down, petting the puppy gently, trying to earn its trust. She felt so sorry for the poor thing that she felt that she had to take it somewhere and get help. This had to be done soon since twilight was nearing. Places would be closing their doors soon.

"Don't worry. I'm going to help you. You can trust me. There, there, I won't hurt you, I promise."

She grabbed her backpack, took some rope out of it, and began to tie it loosely around the puppy's neck. After getting it tied, she tried to pick the dog up. It immediately started growling and baring its teeth, taking her by surprise. When the growling ceased, Wynn reached wearily for the leash, but the dog bit her. Scared, she dropped the leash and scared the puppy away.

Wynn straightened her clothes, fixed her cap, and began to walk across the street. The sound of growling stopped her. When she turned, she saw the puppy leading a group of three big dogs.

"Oh...nice doggies...stay, sit, d-don't move. Alright, I'm just going to walk away..."

She started moving away slowly when the big dogs began barking and chasing her. Luckily, Wynn had been chased by dogs before and knew climbing a tree was effective in evading them. When she looked down at the dogs through the tree's leaves, they were playfully rolling on their backs, tongues hanging out.

Cautiously, Wynn started to climb out of the tree. One of the dogs caught her and began to bark. This dog was the biggest and, being afraid of it, she climbed back up the tree, losing her hat in the process, her long, brunette hair falling down her back. It was about that time that a voice rang out through the air.

"Bad dog! Leave that girl alone! All of you go home!"

Obediently, the dogs ran up to the manor while Wynn climbed out of the tree. When she reached the bottom, she found herself staring at an extremely handsome man. Standing at 5'6" with short, jet black hair and captivating violet eyes, he was smiling at her, the light from the moon making his eyes glow. They held her gaze like a spider with its next meal. He was wearing a white shirt, a black jacket, jeans, and sneakers. Excluding his eyes, his appearance seemed normal.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to anger your, um, pets. It was an accident."

He smiled at her warmly, clearly struggling to keep from laughing over her blunder. "It's not a problem. And don't worry, they're harmless. Anything from a bone to a belly rub will calm them. Are-you ok?"

"A bit shaken, but fine otherwise."

He finally released his laugh, pointing at her pants. There was a hole in the side. "I think you need some new pants. You must have ripped them climbing that tree."

"Oh dear, I did. How could I be so clumsy? These pants are new pants too!"

"Don't worry about your pants; I can give you some to wear, if you're willing to come with me."

"You have pants that I can wear? How in the world-"

"My ex-wife was quite small and her pant should fit you just fine, judging by your looks."

Wynn trusted this man, probably more than she should have. She nodded her head and took a hold of his outstretched hand and followed him to the entrance gate in front of the Victorian manor. When they reached the gate, the man stopped.

"I'm so sorry for my rudeness, miss."

"Rudeness?"

"Yes. I never introduced myself. My name is Darius. Anything else you want to know about me will have to be discussed later. (She nodded.) Now, let's continue."

Darius started walking up the cobblestone path, but Wynn stopped him.

"My name's Wynn, if you would like to know."

"Well then, Wynn, shall we move on?"

"I guess so. I, um, still need a pair of pants."

She laughed nervously before Darius took her arm and led her up the path to the front doors of the manor. Wynn's heart began to race faster and faster with every step that brought her closer to the magnificent building.

Darius kept his eyes forward and Wynn was glad for this. After all, she was young and figured it would be dangerous, but she didn't want him to see her fear. Even though she was afraid, she was also eager to learn more about the house...and about Darius.

Since it was late, there were outside lights on so they could see their way. As they were walking up the cobblestone path, Wynn saw hedges trimmed to look like animals and people. An elegant fountain with a cherub on the top pouring water out of a jug was in the middle of a huge and beautiful garden. She stopped and stared, turning round and round taking in everything in sight.

"It's all so beautiful! I can't believe I'm standing here!"

"It is beautiful. This garden has lasted generations upon generations in my family. I've had it in my possession for three hundred-I mean, three years. I have servants who tend to it every day the weather is suitable." Darius looked at Wynn and watched her go around the garden. He felt guilty; he was luring a little girl into his monstrous world. She fascinated him and he didn't know how to tell her that he was a monster. How could he come to tell her?

Wynn walked from bush to bush and from flower to flower, staring in awe and waiting for Darius to tell her to go up to the house. He never did so she kept walking. Darius kept his distance but followed her to make sure she stayed safe.

"Wynn, be careful. You don't know the dangers of my property. It's very easy to get in to trouble here. (She turned around to look at him.) I'm serious, Wynn. Anything could happen to you and I would feel extremely guilty."

"I'll be careful, I promise."

She walked around the fountain, and then started to walk behind the house. On her left, there was a wall covered in vines; on her right, a dark forest. The forest seemed to beckon and call to her, so she started walking in its direction carefully stepping around the stumps of trees that were cut down.

Darius was a long way away from her and started to run.

"Wynn! Don't go in there! Wynn!"

He ran faster, hoping she didn't go into the forest. He knew what was in there. Despite his calls, the forest still beckoned to her and she had to find out what was in the deeper parts. It seemed to be calling her name over and over again. There were noises; she could hear noises. Loud noises, soft noises; what were they?

When Darius reached her, he grabbed her and pulled her away.

"What's going on? I want to go in there!"

"Little girl, I know of all the secrets of that forest. I don't trust it one bit."

"Oh, I didn't know it was dangerous."

"Well, that's over with. So, why don't we go get your pants?"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Now that she had remembered that she was walking towards the house, Wynn started to shake. She could sense a familiar danger and began debating on if she should go back or not. Darius opened the door and a wave of pitch black darkness from the lightless house came as a shock to Wynn, but she still followed Darius into the house.

Just as she entered the house, in front of her was the sitting room, to her left, the kitchen and dining room, and straight ahead was a dark stairway. The age and authenticity gave Wynn the chills, or maybe that was because there was nothing heating the house.

"The rooms are just up the stairs, darling. Come now, you first."

Wynn liked how kind Darius was to her, so she nodded and began walking up the stairs. She wasn't used to being in such a dark place and halfway up the stairs, Wynn slipped and started to fall backwards. Luckily, Darius was behind her and saved her from injury.

"That was close love. Please, try to be more careful when you're walking up the stairs."

"I'm sorry. My eyes can't adjust to the lighting right."

She remembered that she had a flashlight that she had brought in her backpack. She took it out and turned it on. Turning, she aimed the flashlight up at the cathedral-like ceilings, then at Darius. She was dying to know what he looked like in the light.

Not liking the light, Darius squinted and backed down a couple of steps.

"Turn that off! You don't know what that does to me!"

"Oh, I didn't know light bothered you that much. Forgive me."

"It's quite alright. Just--don't do that again."

"I won't. I promise."

She turned around and continued up the stairs with Darius close behind her, just in case there was another fall. When they reached the top of the stairs, the hallway was dimly lit by candles hung on the wall. Down the hall, there were many doors on both sides of the walkway. Darius took the lead and Wynn followed him to the third door on the right side.

"Right in here, Wynn."

He led Wynn into the room and over to a small dresser where he took out a pair of dark blue jeans.

"Try these on, love. They should fit."

She put them on thinking that since it was so dark in the room, he couldn't see her. It just so happens that he could see her, so he closed his eyes and turned his head. When she was done he turned back to her.

For the first time in his life, Darius was scared of a little girl. He didn't know what scared him, but he was determined to find out. He had to keep her in his house. He had to think fast; really fast.

"You, uh, might want to get to the inn now."

"I'm sure the inn is closed by now, Darius. I still better get going somewhere anyway."

"Wynn, I don't want to see a little girl like you out wandering the streets. You are most welcome to stay in my house."

"You would let me stay here with you?"

"Of course. I have plenty of room here for you. You'll stay as my guest."

"Oh thank you! You have no idea how grateful I am. How much do you want me to pay you?"

"No, no; I can't accept and money from you."

"Alright then. How will I earn my room though?"

"Like I said, you are my guest. You don't have to pay; you don't need to earn anything. I am completely in your debt."

"Well then, where am I going to stay?"

"You can stay in this room. It's nearing 11:00; you might want to go to sleep. I must go, uh, run some errands and I won't be back until almost sunrise."

"Why so late? You'll be tired tomorrow."

"Yes, I know, but I'm used to it. It's nothing new. I will see you when I wake."

"Alright. Goodnight, Darius."

"Goodnight."

Darius left the house at 11:15 that night and didn't return until 5:30 the next morning. When Wynn awoke at 8, she found Darius in the sitting room, lying on the couch sleeping. One of the servants came into the room and led her into the dining room.

"The master wishes to be left alone, dear. He was out all night again last night. He does this often; stays out all night and comes home so tired that he just drops onto the sofa. He's exhausted, the poor thing. Come now, I'll get you some breakfast."

Wynn followed the servant into the dining room where she ate a cheese omelet and bacon. While she was eating, Darius woke up and went into the dining room. He sat at the table across from Wynn. Wynn was the first to speak.

"Did you sleep well last night, Darius?"

"Barely. I only slept for a few hours. I'm still tired but I have to get up."

"Well, you were out awfully late last night. What do you do during the night that keeps you out so late?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Wynn."

"When will I find out?"

"How about tonight? I'll take you with me on my little...journey."

"Oh, alright. Tonight sounds good. Why-why do you have to get up now? Couldn't you just sleep all day?"

"Why? I have a guest, that's why. I can't just sleep the day away with my guest just wandering around, could I?"

"No. I guess not."

"Well, how about I give you a little tour of the house. Shall we, then?"

"Of course."

"You've seen the downstairs already. The library; it's off limits. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes. I understand. But, why? What's in there?"

"Wynn, there are things in this very house that would frighten you. I am one of them."

"You aren't scary at all, Darius. Why would I be afraid of you?"

While they were talking, they were walking up the stairs. When Wynn asked him why she should be afraid, he stopped.

"Wynn, you haven't figured it out, have you?"

"Figured what out? That you're a weird man? I've already figured that out."

"No, Wynn, that's not it. I...I have a secret that I have to tell you."

"What?" They walked up to the landing, then stopped again. "What is it, Darius?"

"Wynn, I am a--I am a vampire. I am the child of one of the coldest, heartless vampires alive. He practically rules over all vampires...everywhere."

"Darius, I used to believe in vampires, but--but I don't anymore. I gave that up months ago."

"Don't believe in--are you nuts!? Wynn, with that kind of talk, you could get yourself killed!"

"I don't! They can't exist; they can't! I don't believe in them anymore!"

"Oh no? You don't believe in them?" He advanced toward her grinning wickedly.

"No," she started shaking from the chills his smile sent up and down her spine. "I don't. They are just a myth told to little kids to scare them."

"You should believe Wynn, you really should." Darius grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him. "If you don't, I'll have to make you."

"I don't," she whispered. She didn't think he was going to hurt her. After all, vampires were a myth.

Darius pressed her body to his and turned her head to the side. He was going insane! The blood of a woman hadn't passes through his lips in centuries. He licked his lips as he took them closer to her neck, but, as he was beginning to bite down on her neck, he felt her stiffen and drew away biting his lower lip. He couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You were-" Her eyes wandered and she grabbed her throat fearing that he would try again. "They are real. I could feel your teeth on my neck, I could feel it. They are real!" She started to cry and pulled her knees close to her chest.

"Wynn?" Darius walked towards her only to receive an ear piercing scream.

"Stay away from me! Stay away, monster! Don't touch me!"

"Wynn, please, calm down. Please, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"No! I can't trust you! You will hurt me; you just tried!"

"Don't worry darling. Yes, we are real; all of us. But I'm not going to bite you because-because it's not my nature to feed from women. I only feed from the lowest and most evil men on the planet. And it just so happens that California has the most evil men I've ever seen."

Suddenly interested, Wynn stood up off the floor (a few feet away from Darius of course) and stared at him. "What part of California are we in? I was going to ask sooner, but I didn't."

"Well, we are in San Diego. In my opinion, the best city in the state. A vampire would never starve here."

"Are there other vampires here?"

"Only my servants; that's it. Any others that are here will be killed. I swear that on my own life."

Wynn was fascinated by this guy. 'How old is he? Is he evil? Should I trust him?' Darius started laughing and Wynn didn't understand. "What on earth is so funny?"

"Wynn, my love, you are what is so funny. So many questions for such a young girl."

"How do you know I have questions?"

"I'm a vampire, darling; I can read minds."

"Oh, then you can answer my questions?"

"Yes, I can. I am 117 years old, I'm not one of the "evil" ones as you call them, you can trust me, I am from England, London to be exact, and I didn't kill you because-" He trailed off with a look of extreme sadness in his eyes; he turned away to hide it.

"Darius?"

"The answer to the last one doesn't matter. It just-it doesn't. Come now, I'll show you around."

Wynn nodded and followed Darius as he took her up and down the hallways taking her in and out of offices, guest bedrooms, and libraries. She saw every room but two: Darius' bedroom and a door that Darius just walked past; didn't even acknowledge it. The whole time they were walking, all Wynn could think of was one more question she had for Darius. She wondered if he could tell she was thinking the question.

"And this is the bathroom closest to your bedroom which is right down the hallway. You should change before we leave tonight and I have a surprise for you when you come down."

"A surprise? What is it?"

"It's a surprise! Now be downstairs by 7:00 or I'm leaving without you, okay?"

"Yes, I'll be ready. See you then."

"Alright." Darius walked away and disappeared one of the libraries and Wynn smiled and shut the door to her room. There was a book on the end table, so she started reading. It was 5:00 when she started reading it; 6:00 when she stopped and got into the shower.

When she got out of the shower, there was an outfit lying on the bed with a note from Darius. It read:

"Where we are going, you need to look

like a vampire. Put this on and we'll see

if you turn out. See you at 7:00."

~Darius


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

At 6:58, Wynn was walking down the stairs, her hand sliding down the railing. She was wearing a black dress that stopped just below her knees. It fastened around the neck with silver silk straps. Darius was waiting for her in the sitting room and when she came down the stairs, he stood up and walked towards her, smiling.

"Wynn, you look beautiful, just beautiful."

Thank you Darius. You look amazing. I haven't seen you in anything like that." Darius was wearing a black suit with a red shirt under the jacket. He had on a cape that was black satin with a silver lining on the inside.

"Do you want your surprise?"

"Oh, I do! What is it?"

"Here you go." Darius took out a little pouch and from it he pulled a necklace. On it there was a bronze pendant in the shape of a circle with a diamond embedded in the center.

"Oh my goodness, Darius!" He fastened it around her neck and whispered in her ear.

"It looks gorgeous on you, Wynn." He smiled and handed her a cloak. "We should be going now or we'll be late."

"Late for what, Darius?"

"Oh, you'll see, love. You'll see."

He led her outside, through the garden, and to the edge of the woods.

"Darius?" She was shaking; now clinging to Darius' arm.

"It's alright, Wynn. Don't you hear the music?" She shook her head no. "Well then, shall we?"

"Um...Darius? Don't leave me, okay? I'm kind of scared."

"I won't leave you. I'll admit, it's dangerous being a mortal. I'll tell you where we are going. We are headed to a party at which I am the guest of honor. My father may be there, but, we won't know until he shows up; if he shows up. So, stay by me at all times, no matter what."

"Oh, of course, Darius. I wouldn't leave your side if it were a party of mortals." Realizing what she had just said, she clapped her hands over her mouth and blushed a deep red. (Darius could see the color.)

Darius laughed and led her onto a path and into the woods. 10 minutes later they emerged into a clearing filled with men and women. The only person that stood out to Wynn was a 6'7" man with jet black hair, just like Darius', but his eyes were fire red and glowing. He was walking towards Darius and Wynn with a look of hate on his face. Wynn could feel herself start to shiver with fear as he came closer.

Darius fell onto one knee, bowing to this man. "Father, it's been so long since I have last spoken with you."

"Darius, who is she and where the hell did she come from?"

"Father, this is Wynn. She's from Nevada and I have taken her as my guest."

"She is a mortal, Darius." As soon as he said the word "mortal", every person in the clearing looked over; Wynn felt all of the blood drain from her face.

"Father, don't; please. You don't know what you are doing."

"I know perfectly well what I am doing and you can't stop me! You!" He pointed to a well dressed, middle aged-looking man.

"Me, my lord?"

"Yes, you. Come over here. You see that girl right there?" The man nodded. "Well, she's a mortal, trying to steal away the prince."

"Father!"

"She is trying to steal him!" The man got a look of hate in his eyes and threw himself at Wynn.

She moved away, making the man fall short of her. The man stood up and started to run after her.

"Wynn, move out of the way!" Darius jumped in front of Wynn and pushed the man back. Wynn screamed and ran into the woods. Darius' father motioned for every person at the party to follow her.

"Father, please! Stop this! Don't hurt her, please father, don't!"

"She is a mortal! You should have known that if you brought her here, she would be killed! We can't risk a mortal knowing of this place!"

"But I love her!" Realizing what he had just said, he blushed with anger and flew into the trees. As soon as he saw the hunters on the ground below, he quietly flew overtop of then until he saw Wynn. What he saw and heard almost brought tears to my eyes.

There was Wynn, screaming her lungs out, trying to outrun a group of 20 vampires; their ages starting at least at 150 years. Four of the younger vampires were closest to her and ripped off her cloak revealing the short, black dress. Darius stopped on a tree branch and watched her (he had flown ahead). Two of the four vampires caught up with her and threw her on the ground.

"Trying to steal the prince, are you?"

"No, no I wasn't. I swear!"

"No excuses, you! Death is the punishment for mortal interference with a vampire!" The two that caught up with her grabbed a hold of her. One had her head pressed side-ways onto the ground; the other was sitting on her legs, pinning her hands to the ground. The one that had her head, leaned forward and was just about to bite her. She could feel his breath on her neck; icy and shaking.

"Stop!" Darius flew down from the trees, his cape flowing behind him as he fell. He grabbed a hold of the guy, who was now latched to Wynn's neck, and threw him against the nearest tree. "Don't touch her!"

The guy sitting on her legs stood up and threw himself onto Darius, only to be thrown on top of the other vampire. Darius picked up a now limp Wynn and put her on his back. After loudly cursing every vampire at that party (including his father), he leapt off the ground and took off to the clouds.

Wynn was still knocked out when Darius landed at the front door of the manor. The blood flowing from her neck had soaked the back of Darius' shirt; she needed help or she was going to die. He put his hand over the part of her neck that was bleeding; luckily his long fingers covered the entire tear (torn from Darius pulling the guy off of her) and he could easily cover the wound.

He took her inside and handed her over to a female servant to be cared for. While the servant had Wynn in her room being cared for, Darius was in the main library, sitting at a desk, waiting for someone to come in. An hour and a half later, the female servant came in with a look of sadness on her face. She bowed to Darius, and then approached him slowly.

"My lord, I'm afraid I have bad news about the young lady."

"What is it? Is she okay? Tell me something!"

"She's stopped bleeding, but I don't know if she's going to live or not. She's quite sick; she's caught a fever and is still unconscious.'

"Oh God. Can we help her?"

"There's only one way, but she's too young, Darius. We can't put her through that, not yet."

"I know; she won't want anybody coming that close to her after what happened. I wouldn't if I were her. Leave me, I need to be alone."

"Of course, my lord. I leave you now."

After the servant left, Darius laid his head on the desk and cried. Wynn's room was right next door and she could hear him crying. She wanted to wake up and see him, but she couldn't. Pain surged from her neck to her eyes and it made her shiver. She could hear the door open and close; the lock clicked seconds later.

"Wynn?" It was Darius! She had to wake up, she just had to! "I'm sorry Wynn. This never should have happened. Didn't I tell you my father was cruel? I wasn't lying about that, he really is like that. Soon, I'll have to take his place as the most powerful and he expects me to be as cruel as he is. Wynn, if I don't become like him, he will kill me so he doesn't have a faulty heir. He will kill you too, Wynn, and I don't want that to happen. What happened to you tonight brought you so near to death, they aren't sure you're going to live. I'll have you know, love, if you come close enough to death, I'll save you, I promise. You won't die while I'm around."

Darius pulled the blankets up around her neck, kissed her on the forehead, unlocked and walked out of the door, shutting it quietly behind him. He went downstairs and grabbed his cloak announcing that he would return before sunrise. After he left, the house fell eerily quiet except for the servants going to and fro around the house.

It was around 7:30pm when Darius left the house and at 11:30pm, Wynn woke up and asked the maid where Darius was; she received a one-word, simple answer: out.

"Do you know when he's coming back? I'd really like to see him."

"I can't say I know, miss. I'm sorry."

They heard someone running down the hallway, screaming about how lucky she was to be alive. When the person came into the room, she was a 5'4" old lady. She kicked the maid out of the room and go right to talking.

"I'm Gina and no, I am not a vampire. I was Darius' house keeper years ago. I'm so happy you're alive, dear! Poor Darius was so upset when the nurse told him you weren't going to live. He really does love you, dear. Trust me; I'm an old lady who has seen many a male fall in love."

"No, he can't possibly be in love with me. I'm a mortal, Gina. I know he fears for me, though. He told me so himself earlier tonight when I was unconscious."

"He does sweetie, he does. I'm sure he'll go to the ends of the earth to protect you."

"I hope so."

While Gina and Wynn were talking, one of the servants was searching for Darius, and found him. 30 minutes after Wynn and Gina met; Darius came running into the room stopping at the doorway trying to catch his breath.

"You're...you're ok. Oh my God Wynn, I was so worried."

Darius walked over to the bed where Wynn was propped up by two pillows. "Gina, could you leave us alone for a minute, please?"

"Of course, Darius. You behave now, you hear?"

"Yes, Gina."

She left and after she shut the door Darius looked at Wynn and smiled. "I thought you were going to die, Wynn. Every doctor I had look at you told me that you were going to die. You lost so much blood."

"I know, but I really believe I'm alive because of you."

"What did I do? All I did was go away. I just walked around."

"What you said to me while I was sleeping is what kept me alive."

"Oh, I didn't think of that."

"Darius, um, how did I get home? The last thing I remember is lying on the ground with his teeth stuck into my neck."

"I, I flew you home."

"Flew me home?"

'Yes, Wynn, I flew you. I can fly, love; it's not impossible. Most of us can fly depending on how we're turned."

"I'm so sorry for causing all of this!" Wynn set her face in her hands and cried. Darius felt like crying himself, but instead sat on the bed and opened his arms for Wynn. She leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around her. For an hour they sat on the bed, Wynn crying into Darius' chest and Darius holding her.

"Wynn, darling, stop crying, please. You didn't cause any of this at all. Its okay honey, it's okay."

"But, if I wasn't a mortal, your dad wouldn't be upset with you and he wouldn't want to kill us and you wouldn't have kissed me on the--"

"Wait, wait, wait! Wynn, you said what I heard earlier?"

"Yes, I could hear you even though I was unconscious. When you kissed my forehead I--I" Wynn looked down.

"That doesn't matter, Wynn. What matters to me is if you are okay."

"I'm fine Darius but I'm really tired. Could you maybe stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course I'll stay with you. I don't want you to be alone."

Wynn laid her head on the pillow and Darius sat next to her, gently stroking her forehead.

"Sleep well, my love."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  
When Wynn awoke at 10:30 the next morning, Darius hadn't left at all.  
In fact, he was sleeping on the sofa that was in her room. She  
quietly stepped out of bed and brought her hand to her neck. The  
bandage and bite marks were gone! But, what happened to them?  
She noticed that the necklace Darius gave her was still around her  
neck and she was in a red, tight-fitting satin nightgown. When she  
woke from being unconscious, she hadn't bothered looking at what she  
was wearing. Careful not to wake Darius, Wynn slipped quietly into  
the hallway. The room that Darius had passed was the one where she  
had been longing to go, and that was where she was headed.  
At the door, Wynn noticed that it was made out of cedar wood, she  
could smell it. She touched the doorknob, then turned it, walking  
inside. It was beautiful; she'd never seen a door like it before in  
her life. The door shut quietly behind her, and the first thing she  
noticed was the bed. Red satin curtains surrounded it and the bed was  
so soft she could have just fallen asleep on it right there. She  
would have fallen asleep if the dresser didn't catch her eye. There  
was nothing but pictures of Darius and a lady Wynn had never seen  
before.  
She stood up and walked over to the dresser and looked at all of the  
pictures of the lady and Darius. In the center of all of these  
pictures was a jewelry box. It was beautiful; made of cherry colored  
wood. It beckoned for her to open it, so she did. Inside, it was a  
plain music box filled with pendants, chains, bracelets, earrings, and  
any other pieces of jewelry you can imagine. When Wynn reached for  
the key to play the music, she noticed a particular necklace. It had  
a silver chain and a blood red ruby on the end. She pulled it out and  
was amazing at how beautiful it was.  
"It's gorgeous!" She was whispering just in case someone was  
listening. Little did she know, Darius was behind her.  
"It is gorgeous, isn't it?"  
Wynn closed the box and hid the necklace behind her back. "Darius!  
I, um, I was just-"  
"Wynn, it's all right. I should have shown you her room sooner."  
"Her? Is that your ex-wife?" She was pointing at the pictures.  
"Yes, it is. She was the love of my life until-"  
"Until what? What happened to her?"  
"Wynn, do you remember when I told you that I wasn't going to kill  
you but I didn't say why?"  
"Yes, I do."  
"Well, I didn't kill you because I killed a woman once and after I  
killed her, I felt so awful, I went to starvation." He sat on the bed  
and covered his face with his hands.  
"Who was she?" Darius looked at her with tears in his eyes and Wynn  
knew right away who she was. "Oh my God...you killed your ex-wife!  
What was-why did you do something like that!?"  
"It was my father's will. Maybe I should explain this to you. My  
mother and father were killed by my vampire father." Wynn opened her  
mouth to speak, but Darius stopped her. "You see, my father needed an  
heir so he tricked a mortal woman into thinking he was a mortal man.  
She already had a son, which is why he "fell in love" with her. He  
killed my mother and father and turned me, taking me in as his son.  
That's what I was to do with Lia."  
"Lia is her name?"  
"Yes. She had a son of 16 years and I killed her, but in my mistake,  
her son saw it happen and committed suicide. That's why my father was  
so angry. I was with a childless, mortal woman."  
"Oh. So if I had a son, I would be dead?"  
"No, of course not! My father doesn't realize that I'm putting an  
end to his legacy. You'll be with me forever! We'll rule without an  
heir and if we die, we'll leave our kingdom to-what's the matter  
Wynn?"  
Wynn was just staring at him, eyes wide. "Be with you forever? What  
do you mean by forever; what do you mean by if we die?"  
"Um, I meant you could be with me until death. You know, 'until  
death do us part', that whole thing."  
"Darius," she was on the other side of the bed and crawled across.  
"Can you make people into vampires?"  
"I can. It's simple, actually. Amy vampire can do it, Wynn. Young  
or old, every vampire has the gift; the power. It takes every ounce  
of strength from the maker and the victim always has to feed  
afterward."  
"Can't the maker be a female?"  
"I've never heard of a female maker, so I guess not."  
"Oh." She sat next to him on the bed. "Can you turn me?"  
Darius' eyes widened and he stood up off the bed.  
"No way, Wynn! No! You are way to young for me to even think of turning you!"  
"Oh, come on Darius!"  
"No, Wynn. No, no, no, no and no!"  
"If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, why can't it be  
an eternal life?"  
"Because you aren't ready. Give it a little while. You need to be  
accustomed to the lifestyle. How about we give it until your 17th  
birthday. It's October now, and your birthday is on?"  
"January 2nd."  
"Well, midnight of January 2nd, I will turn you, but you can't be scared."  
"I've already been bitten, I'm not scared. Wait, if I've already  
been bitten, why am I not a vampire?"  
"You see, there is so much you need to learn about this. Now, when a  
vampire feeds on a mortal, he is feeding, not turning. When a vampire  
is turning, he is not feeding. In fact, he takes very little blood.  
While he is turning, he is injecting venom that produces a virus that  
takes over your blood. You thirst as a vampire because the virus  
kills your blood so you need to steal the blood from others. But no  
matter how much blood you take, you always want more. It's a curse  
that never leaves."  
"Wow. All of this happens in just a few minutes?"  
"Yes. If I turn you, before you feed, I will have you take some of my blood."  
"Why would I take yours?"  
"If you feed a little off of me, you will have my blood forever.  
Vampric blood does not dissolve away." He stood and walked to the  
door, stopping at the threshold. "Can you give me the necklace?"  
Wynn nodded and gave Darius the necklace.  
"It really is gorgeous, Darius."  
He smiled and took the necklace, putting it into his pocket. Then he  
did something Wynn wasn't expecting, he touched her face, smiling.  
"You are gorgeous, Wynn. I make this room yours now. Feel free to  
look at everything; clothes, jewelry, anything. I give it all to you,  
love. Lunch is in 30 minutes. I'm afraid we've missed breakfast."  
"Well, we did wake up around 11:00, Darius." She laughed.  
"Just be on time for lunch, okay?"  
"Yes Darius, I will." She got into the shower and after she was done  
she looked at all of the clothes in the room. In the armoire, she  
found a row of dresses fit for a queen. The dresses were of all kinds  
of colors: gold, royal blue, deep purple, emerald, blood red, black,  
and silver.  
The one dress that caught her eye was the blood red one, so she  
pulled it out and put it on. It fit her perfectly, as if it were made  
to fit her curves. She then strapped on black, open-toed sandal  
heels. The dress came to her knees and she found a black, knee-length  
coat in the armoire.  
Wynn put the coat over her right arm, grabbed a purse to match her  
outfit, and walked downstairs. In the sitting room, she laid the coat  
and bag on the back of the sofa and quietly walked into the dining  
room where Darius was waiting for her.  
"Oh, am I late for lunch?"  
"No, you're not. In fact, you're right on time."  
"Could I just have a salad, Darius? I would like to go to the market today."  
"Yes you can." He snapped his fingers and a male servant came out.  
After Darius told him what to bring, he left to prepare the food. "By  
the way, Wynn, you look amazing in Lia's dress. Just amazing."  
"Thank you."  
"What are you planning on doing in the market?"  
The servant came back with Wynn's salad and a glass of something  
clear for Darius. "Thank you."  
"I'm just going to buy some things; I'm not sure what. Maybe a dress  
or some jewelry. And you can sleep for a while."  
"I should sleep. I'm planning on going out tonight. There are  
things I need to take care of."  
Wynn finished her salad and stood up. "Well, I'm off to the square."  
She started to walk out of the dining room when Darius stopped her.  
"Hold on for a minute, Wynn." She stopped at the doorway and waited  
for Darius to walk to her. "I want to give you this." He reached  
into his pocket and pulled out a money bag. "Don't refuse it. Don't  
ask how much is in there. Just take it and spend how ever much you  
need. Do not spend your money. Save it, okay?"  
"Um, okay. I won't." Darius then walked Wynn into the sitting room,  
picked up her coat, and held it up for her to put it on. Then, he  
handed her her purse and walked her to the door. "Thank you, Darius."  
Darius opened the door and Wynn started to walk out, but he grabbed  
her hand and pulled her back, staring deeply into her eyes. "Be  
careful, Wynn. If anything happened to you, what would I do?" Before  
she could answer him, he bent down and kissed her, gently, on the  
lips. He then scooted her out the door. "Be home before twig light,  
Wynn. It's dangerous after twig light."  
"I will Darius. Don't worry about me too much."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:  
Wynn walked the four blocks to the market and breathed a sigh of  
relief when she noticed that there weren't many people around. She  
wrapped the coat tighter around herself, wishing she had chosen a  
longer coat so her body would be more covered. There was a man whose  
body was covered with a cloak and it was...Darius' dad! He was  
advancing toward her faster and faster; then he started to run.  
"No; oh no!" Wynn began to run away, dropping her bag, and Darius'  
money. She didn't know what to do so she ran into the park. Hiding  
behind a tree, she took off her shoes and buttoned the coat from the  
bottom to the neck. She could hear Darius' dad growling at her. He  
came up behind her.  
"Found you! Now, I will kill you myself!" He jumped quickly around  
the tree. Wynn screamed and took off running, barefoot, back in the  
direction of the manor. A figure, clad from head to foot in black  
clothing, complete with a black cape and boots, fell in front of her.  
The figure grabbed her and picked her up.  
"No! Let go of me! Let me go! Help, help!"  
"Wynn! Shut up. Don't draw attention to yourself!"  
"Darius?" The figure didn't answer her. He just leapt into the air,  
still holding her, and started flying.  
Wynn gasped when she realized they were in the air, and she looked at  
the darkened figure. "Darius?"  
"Yes, it's me."  
"You followed me?"  
"I never should have let you go by yourself. Valen would have killed  
you. I'm glad I followed you or you'd be dead right now."  
"Valen? Is that his name?"  
"It is. He's an awful man, Wynn. Stay away from him."  
"Yes, Darius."  
When they reached the manor, Darius carried Wynn inside and up to her  
room. Once in the room, Wynn walked over to her bag and took out the  
note and knife she found the night of her parents' death.  
"Darius I--" Before she could finish, a servant came running into the  
room; it was Gina.  
"Darius, you father is here asking for Wynn."  
"What! No, he can't be!"  
"He is Darius. Should we give her to him?"  
"No! He wants to kill her!"  
"Why would he want to do that?"  
"I don't know, Gina. Take her through the secret hallways and hide  
her. He doesn't know about those."  
"Yes my prince." Gina took Wynn by the hand and led her to the  
closet. She pushed aside the clothes, revealing a door.  
"Gina, where are we going?"  
"I have to hide you from that man, Wynn. Now stay quiet."  
Darius came to the closet.  
"Yes Wynn. Stay very quiet until Gina tells you its okay. Be  
careful with her."  
"I will Darius; she's fine with me." Darius pushed them through the  
passage way and sealed the door.  
"Come now child, we must move quickly. If we don't, Valen will find  
you for sure."  
Upstairs, Darius was standing at the door afraid to open it. With  
his hand on the doorknob, he got a better idea. He ran to the roof  
and from there, he called to Valen.  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
"Darius! Give me the girl now!"  
Darius jumped down the roof to the ground so he could face Valen.  
When he stood up, he stared at Valen with the most evil look you could  
imagine. "I wouldn't give her to you if you tortured me. She's safe  
where she is; don't even think of looking for her."  
"You will never be good enough to take my place, Darius! You know  
it's against everything I've taught you if you fall in love with the  
woman!"  
"How is 16 a woman? I would like to know how 16 years of childhood  
makes her a woman!"  
"Losing her parents should have prepared her for womanhood the day I  
killed them."  
"Her parents are dead?"  
"Yes her parents are dead! They knew what I was, and you can never  
trust a mortal with a secret like that. I did what I had to; I killed  
them." He let out an evil laugh and leapt into the air. He flew over  
Darius and onto the roof. "I will find her if it takes the rest of  
the night!" With that, Valen snapped his fingers and disappeared.  
Below the mansion, in a series of narrow hallways, Gina was leading  
Wynn deeper and deeper into the earth. They only stopped walking when  
they reached a room that looked similar to a dungeon.  
"We have to stay in here? Why can't we stay in a...nicer room?"  
"Wynn, dear, this is the only place we are-" With that, Valen  
appeared in the room.  
"Wynn, I've found you at last! You are mine!" Valen threw Gina  
against the wall and he body crumpled on the floor.  
"Don't hurt her! It's me you want, not her!"  
"You're right. It's you, I want you! I want you dead! Be ready to  
join your parents; they should be glad to see you."  
"You killed my parents! Why would you-" Valen grabbed Wynn by the  
throat and held her against the wall. She kicked and flailed her arms  
but got nowhere. Her vision was blurring when Valen suddenly let go  
of her neck. The air returned to her lungs so fast it was painful.  
When she looked up, there was another man fighting Valen, but she  
couldn't tell who it was; her vision was too blurred. She rubbed her  
eyes and realized who she saw. It was Darius! Valen, being older and  
stronger than Darius, quickly over took all of Darius' strength. He  
knocked out Darius and threw him across the room then advanced towards  
Wynn. She was still trying to catch her breath when Valen picked her  
up and suddenly appeared in the garden. He then flew away, taking  
Wynn farther and farther from the manor.  
Valen had bound and blindfolded her so she couldn't run away and go  
back home. To Wynn it seemed that they were flying forever, but  
really it was only a few minutes. After they had landed, Valen  
removed the bindings and blindfold to reveal where they were standing.  
She was in a huge castle. All walls were stone and there were lit  
candles and torches in every room. A red-carpeted staircase led to  
the second floor, but Wynn couldn't see all the way to the top. Valen  
grabbed her arm and led her up the stairs.  
The room she was led to was small, dark, and damp. There were  
torture weapons all around the room and a guy who was badly beaten and  
starved was chained to the wall by his wrists.  
"Here's where you stay." He led her to chains next to the guy and  
chained her wrists.  
"Let me go! You have no use for me!"  
"Oh, I have plenty use for you." He smiled wickedly and licked his lips.  
"You sick pervert! Darius will rescue me from you!"  
"You think that, don't you? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad  
news, but, he isn't coming any time soon." Valen let out an evil  
laugh and walked away.  
"Help me! Darius, help me!"  
"He won't be able to hear you," spoke a soft and whispery voice. "No  
vampire can hear a scream from the room."  
"And why not?"  
"This room is cursed. It's soundproof to all, even vampires. We can  
hear everything, but they can't hear us." At that moment, the man did  
something Wynn didn't think was possible: he disappeared. Just as  
quickly as he disappeared, he reappeared next to her.  
"How did you do that?" The man knelt beside her and stared into her eyes.  
"That doesn't matter now. Wynn, my name is Kaden. I'm a vampire  
too. I tried to kill Valen when he spoke of his plan to destroy your  
family, but he is much stronger than me. He put me down here to keep  
me away from you. But the fool brought you to me."  
"What do you want with me?! Why is he after me and my family?"  
"You don't know, do you?"  
"I don't know what? Am I missing something?"  
"God, you're running from a power like Valen and you don't know why?"  
Wynn shook her head no and Kaden let out a loud laugh, angering her.  
"What the hell is so funny?!"  
"You don't know what you are! That's hilarious!"  
"So, what am I? I would like to know why he wants me dead."  
"Alright, I'll tell you the story." Kaden stood up and turned from  
Wynn, putting his hands in the pockets of his dirty jeans. "For 7  
generations, your family has been famous for something so great, that  
they were hated by every vampire around. They were hunters."  
"Hunters?"  
"Yes, hunters. They chased down and brutally killed every vampire  
they could find. Your parents, Wynn, they were the greatest hunters  
in your whole family. Do you remember any days when one or both of  
them called to tell you they would be home late?"  
"Yes, I do. Why?"  
"They weren't at work, Wynn. They were killing vampires."  
"No they weren't! They were working and they were working hard!"  
"Wynn, they didn't tell you about it because they didn't want you to  
get into that business. They knew it was dangerous and they didn't  
want you to be hurt."  
"My grandfather would have told me about it, Kaden. He used to tell  
me everything about his life."  
"Do you even know how he died?"  
"Of course I do. He had a heart attack."  
"I bet if you looked real closely at his neck, there were two tiny  
bite marks. He was murdered by Valen. I was there, Wynn. From then  
on, I vowed to watch over you and I have been. Darius already knows;  
I told him where to find you. He wasn't supposed to fall in love."  
"Fall in love? What do you mean Kaden?"  
"You haven't noticed it? Darius is madly in love with you! He'd do  
anything to make you happy."  
Wynn looked down and remembered everything Darius had ever done.  
Then she remembered the day that he kissed her before she left.  
"Kaden, can you take me home?" She looked at him with tears in her  
eyes, so he kneeled in front of her and took her hands. Slowly he  
brought his face closer to hers and kissed her. Five minutes had  
passed and Kaden was still kissing Wynn, but she was struggling for  
him to let go. When he finally let go, Wynn could see worry in his  
eyes.  
"Hold on, darling; I'll take you home." Kaden grabbed the chains  
that were locked around her wrists and broke them. Wynn's jaw dropped  
open as he broke the chains and lifted her up off of the stone floor.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:  
Kaden carried her to the wall and stared at it. Suddenly, one of the  
bricks started to glow a fire red and then exploded. The explosion  
blew out only enough bricks to make a hole big enough for Wynn and  
Kaden to fit through. Kaden jumped through and flew into the air. It  
was then that she noticed that he had wings! His wings were black and  
bigger than both of their arm spans put together. How hadn't she seen  
them before and where did they come from?  
"I'll explain that later, love. Don't worry about it so much, alright?"  
"How did you know my questions, Kaden?"  
"You're obviously not going to wait, so I have no choice but to tell  
you, right?"  
"Right. Now spill."  
"Fine, fine. I'll tell you anything you want to know. Hold on for a  
second, we have to fall first."  
Kaden took her down to a forest and they sat down in the leaves. He  
looked down at the ground, and then leaned back against a tree.  
"Go ahead, ask away. I'll tell you anything."  
"Okay. One. How come I couldn't see your wings before?"  
"They disappear when I'm not using them. Next question."  
"Two. Where did they come from?"  
"My wings are very rare. In order to have them, you have to be  
turned by another vampire with wings."  
"Three. Why did you kiss me, Kaden?"  
"Wynn, I don't think that you need to-"  
"Now you listen to me! I want to know why you kissed me back there  
and I want to know now!"  
Kaden just shook his head and stood up but Wynn wanted to know. She  
grabbed him, pulled him down, and sat on his stomach so he couldn't  
move.  
"Tell me Kaden!"  
"FINE! Get off me and I will."  
"That's better." She got off his stomach and he sat up.  
"You are violent!"  
"That's nice, now tell me!"  
"Okay, okay. I kissed you so I could see your childhood; so I could  
see what you saw. When I saw the picture of your dad on the floor and  
your mother's..."  
His voice trailed off as he noticed Wynn sobbing into her hands. He  
imagined what it would be like realizing that her parents where gone  
forever and nobody would help. Kaden felt awful about not being able  
to help her get her parents back.  
"Kaden?"  
"Yes?"  
"I want to go back to Darius."  
"Alright, I'll take-"  
Before Kaden finished his sentence, a man grabbed Wynn and shoved her  
into a giant bag.  
"Let me go! What are you doing? Kaden, help!"  
All Wynn could hear was a man talking to Kaden and Kaden lying saying  
he followed her and held her. Then she heard a familiar voice. It  
was Valen's voice and he was congratulating Kaden on a job well done.  
"Thank you, Kaden. Oh and Kaden?"  
"Yes, sir?"  
"She seems to have taken a liking to you. I want you to take her to the ball."  
"The ball? But, sir, Darius will be there. Won't he try to take her back?"  
"No, he'll try to fight me for her. It was smart tricking her like  
you did. How did you do that?"  
"I flattered her, how else. The exact way, I refuse to say."  
"Very well." (To henchmen) "Take her away, boys. I'm taking my  
first hand man on a little hunt. Kaden, we have one hour before  
sunrise."  
Wynn felt herself being picked up and carried away. Did Kaden really  
set her up? She didn't know, but she cried the whole way back.

Back at Valen's castle, she was put in shackles and handcuffs and  
left alone in the dark dungeon. No Kaden, no Darius; no nothing.  
Everybody else who was in the dungeon was taken out so she was alone.  
For three hours she sat up against the wall crying. Finally, Valen  
walked into the dungeon, followed by Kaden. Wynn looked at them with  
tears in her eyes and Kaden gave her a sympathetic look. Immediately  
after, however, he gave her a look of hate and death.  
Wynn started to cry again, so Valen slapped her across the face. If  
it weren't for the chains, Wynn would have flown all the way to the  
other side of the dungeon.  
"Shut up, you!" Kaden laughed at Wynn's pain.  
"Kaden, why did you do this to me? Why did you lie to me?"  
Kaden only stared at her, hiding whatever he was feeling. The next  
person to speak up was Valen.  
"I said shut up! Don't talk to him at all!"  
"Kaden! Help me!"  
"Shut up!"  
Valen picked her up and held her against the wall by her throat.  
Wynn gasped for air and pulled at his hands, trying to make him let  
her go. She kicked her legs, but never hit Valen; he moved too fast.  
"Please...Valen, I can't breathe!"  
He dropped her onto the stone floor and laughed wickedly.  
"You will go with Kaden to the ball tonight. It's a mortal ball so  
don't even try asking for help. Follow me; you must get ready."  
Kaden left and Valen pulled Wynn along with him. When they reached  
the sitting room, Kaden walked into the dining room and Valen took  
Wynn upstairs. He pulled her into a bedroom and handed her a dress.  
"Put it on, now. I'll be back in ten minutes. Don't bother trying  
to escape, Wynn. I'm locking the door and the windows are sealed."  
"Yes, Valen."  
"Good, now, hurry up."  
Valen left and Wynn heard him lock the door. She laid the dress out  
on the bed and smiled at its beauty. If Valen hadn't have been the  
one to give it to her, she would've liked it more.  
Though she loathed having to wear the dress, she put it on. It had  
only been five minutes, but Wynn could see the look on Valen's face  
when she was late. She decided she should cooperate with Valen and  
Kaden. Maybe Darius would be at the ball!  
Three solid knocks on the door.  
"Get out here now! It's time to go!"  
"I'm coming!"  
Wynn rushed out the door and Valen grabbed her arm.  
"At the ball, you talk to no one. Understand?"  
"Yes, Valen."  
Kaden walked into the hallway and Valen threw Wynn into his arms.  
"If she talks to anyone, kill her. And I mean anyone."  
"Yes, sir."  
After Valen left, Kaden let out a long sigh of relief. He turned to  
Wynn and smiled.  
"Why are you smiling at me? Stop that! I hate you!"  
"Wynn, I was faking. I needed to get you into the ball somehow or  
Darius would kill me!"  
"W-What?"  
"Everything I said to him was a lie. I'm Darius' brother; I'm not  
about to kill his love."  
"His brother? You are Darius' brother?"  
"Yes. We are brothers through mortal blood and vampire blood."  
"Oh. Kaden?"  
"Yes, Wynn?"  
"Should I still be silent at the ball?"  
"Yes. Darius and I will take care of everything."  
"Okay."  
"Shall we?"  
Wynn took a hold of his outstretched hand and followed him out. When  
they reached the road, Kaden wrapped one arm around her waist and they  
flew to the ball.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:  
When Kaden and Wynn arrived at the ball, Valen was there waiting for them.  
"What the hell took you so long?!"  
"I am sorry father. Forgive me. The winds did not allow me  
sufficient flight."  
"Did she struggle?"  
"No, in fact, she was surprisingly cooperating with me."  
"Good, she is learning. Now, Darius is here. I have avoided him so  
far, but he is searching for me. We have to do this soon. Your  
brother must be disposed of."  
"Yes, sir."  
"Take her near him. Flaunt her and lure him to me. I am sure he will follow."  
"Yes, Valen."  
Kaden led Wynn towards the middle of the building. The building in  
which the ball was being held was an abandoned palace. By abandoned I  
mean: the people who once lived here were killed off by vampires for  
their royal blood. Four walls of solid concrete on a plot of land 300  
acres long X 200 acres wide.  
"Wynn, when we pass by Darius reach out your hand to him. He will  
scream your name and I will act as though I am dragging you to Valen."  
"But-"  
"Don't say anything. Valen will kill you if you if you say anything.  
And, say nothing as you pass Darius; just reach out your hand.  
Understood?"  
Wynn nodded as Kaden wrapped him right arm around her waist. With  
his left hand, he held her hand. Wynn gave him a confused look.  
"I mean nothing by this. It is just the way a vampire flaunts what  
he owns. This way, nobody here will try to harm you or take you."  
As they neared Darius, Wynn's heart beat faster and faster. It felt  
as though she hadn't seen him in weeks, but, really, it was only two  
days. She wanted to run into his arms and let him hold her and never,  
ever let go.  
When they walked past him, he looked at her with eyes filled with  
sorrow. She did as she was told and stretched out her hand.  
Suddenly, Kaden started to pull her away and Darius yelled after them.  
"Wynn! Kaden let her go!"  
She let Kaden pull her to Valen with Darius flying closely behind them.  
"I'll never let her go! Ever!"  
Wynn and Kaden reached Valen; Valen took Wynn by the arm and pulled  
her close to him.  
"Now you repay me for letting you live," he growled.  
She felt the blood drain from her face as she thought about what he  
was going to do to her. Still, she kept her word and was silent.  
"Valen! Let her go! Now!"  
"As you Maker, I command that you let her be and I will keep her."  
"Never! She doesn't want to stay with you!"  
"Love, do you want to stay with me?"  
Wynn couldn't take it anymore. Never before had she gone this long  
without voicing her opinion.  
"No! I hate you! Let me go!"  
"You little bitch! I told you not to speak! Now, you will pay!"  
Wynn's face grew pale when she realized what was about to happen to  
her. She was about to die. Why did she have to open her big mouth?  
"No," she whispered. "Please, no...Darius? Help me! Darius!"  
Valen bent to bite her; she closed her eyes and, the next thing she  
knew, Valen was being yanked off of her. When she sat up, Kaden was  
sitting on Valen's stomach pinning his wrists, and Darius was bent  
over...biting him. Darius was holding Valen's head and feeding off of  
his own maker!  
"Darius! Stop! Stop it, Darius! DARIUS!"  
Darius looked up at Wynn, his face covered with blood. Valen lay,  
motionless, on the floor, his shirt stained with blood. Kaden threw  
Valen over his shoulders and carried him out of the building. Wynn  
never found out what happened to Valen; she only knew that he was dead  
and she didn't need to worry about him anymore.  
"Wynn, my love, we should leave."  
"Oh God, Darius! He's dead!"  
"It's okay, darling, it's good that he's gone. He won't be able to  
hurt you anymore."  
"What about Kaden? Isn't he coming with us?"  
"He'll meet us at my house. Don't you worry."  
Darius held his hand out to Wynn; as soon as she took a hold of it,  
they ran for the door and took off into the night sky. It was three  
hours before Darius and Wynn reached the manor and Wynn had fallen  
asleep in Darius' arms.  
When they arrived at the manor, Darius carried the sleeping Wynn into  
her bedroom and laid her on the bed. He looked at her, smiled, and  
went downstairs. He was too tired to hunt that night and he fell  
asleep on the couch.

As for Kaden, he was at Valen's castle sitting in the middle of the  
dungeon. All he could think about was Wynn. Was she okay? He hoped,  
and hoped she was okay.

With Valen finally dead, Darius and Wynn could live their lives  
happily. Wynn wanted to be with Darius forever. She loved him, as he  
loved her. However, Wynn didn't understand the pain she was going to  
go through in order to live her eternal and happy life.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:  
It was 7:00 am and Wynn had just awaken from a comforting and  
dreamless sleep. Ever since she woke up, she had been daydreaming  
about her new love and the ball. Sure, Valen tried to kill Darius,  
but her love showed him who was the strongest. Although the sight of  
Darius draining the blood out of his own creator was sickening, it  
proved how much he really loved her.  
Wynn walked outside and through the garden. She walked until she  
reached the fountain; then she sat on the edge and ran her hands back  
and forth through the water. She was daydreaming again; the dream was  
about her and Darius out for a moonlight picnic.  
"Wouldn't it be lovely? Just to have him sitting with me; talking  
with me? I would love for that to happen to me."  
She sighed and stared into the sky watching as the last few stars  
faded away with the morning sun.  
"I think I am going to go to the square today. I would love to buy a  
new dress."  
Wynn quietly walked into the house and shut the door softly behind  
her. At the foot of the stairs, she realized that Darius was sleeping  
on the couch. He had one leg hanging over the edge of the sofa and  
the other propped up. His hand was on his forehead covering his face  
almost entirely; his lips were showing. She walked over to him and  
laid her cloak on the armchair near the couch.  
She knelt by his head and laid her hand on his hair. Wynn sat there  
for a few minutes; then she smiled and messed up his hair. Wynn had o  
take a bath, so, she snuck upstairs. The hot water felt good on her  
skin and she wanted to stay in there forever, but, she was starting to  
get pruny.  
When she was done, she got redressed and went down into the sitting  
room. It was now 9:00 am and Darius was...not there?  
"Darius? Where are you?"  
Just then, someone grabbed her from behind and she turned to face him.  
"You...messed up my hair, Wynn."  
"I'm sorry Darius. I couldn't help myself."  
"It's quite alright, darling. I don't mind at all."  
"Why are you awake so early, Darius?"  
"Why are you?"  
"I couldn't sleep any longer and when I tried to make myself, I still  
couldn't! It was awful, so I woke up."  
"Well, if you want to know why I'm up so early, it's because I never  
fell asleep. I heard you go outside, come back in, and go upstairs.  
I heard a lot of it, everything."  
"Oh, I didn't know you were awake that whole time. I was planning on  
going to the square now, if you allowed me to."  
"Of course I will, love. I will even give you money."  
"I don't need any money, Darius. I have enough to do as I wish in the market."  
"Are you sure? I can give you some money and you can buy more things."  
"Its fine, Darius. I already know what I want to buy so, I won't be long."  
"Alright then. I'll see you when you return."  
"Goodbye."  
Darius waved her out, then turned swiftly and tossed his cape over  
his shoulder. He ran up the stairs and disappeared into his bedroom.

At the market, Wynn looked at dresses and jewelry trying to figure  
out what to buy. She wanted everything, but she knew she couldn't  
have it all.  
"Can I help you, Miss?"  
"What? Oh, yes, you can. I would like to buy the necklace with the  
emerald green pendant on it."  
"Okay, here it is. Would you like me to put it in a case?"  
"No, thank you, I would rather wear it home."  
"I'll put it on you if you want."  
"Thank you."  
The lady clasped the chain behind Wynn's neck and told her she looked  
beautiful and to come back again. Wynn thanked the lady and headed  
off toward home.  
When she got home, Wynn immediately ran to her room and changed into  
an emerald green dress to match her new necklace. She then ran to  
Darius' room and knocked on the door.  
"Come in!"  
"Hello! I'm back from the square!"  
"Welcome home my love!" Darius grabbed her and kissed her on the  
cheek. "How are feeling?"  
"Tired...really tired, actually. I think I should take a nap. I  
just came to tell you I was back."  
Darius took her hand and led her to her room. When they reached  
Wynn's room, Darius picked her up and carried her to the bed. After  
he had laid her down, he kissed her on the forehead and walked out of  
the room. Wynn smiled at him as he shut the door; when he was gone;  
she closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
While she was sleeping, Darius snuck into the room and lay down  
beside her. He was just as tired as she was and fell asleep next to  
her.  
Three hours later, Wynn woke up to find herself lying on Darius'  
chest and his arm was around her.  
"Oh no!" She whispered. "What happened? I gotta get out of here!"  
Wynn looked at Darius and smiled. She thought he looked like the  
angel her could have been. She lifted his arm off of her and sat next  
to him on the bed. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so she could see every  
muscle on his upper body. He was so handsome; she hoped she never had  
to leave him or give him a reason to want another girl besides her.  
Wynn was happy again. She didn't think it was going to happen, but it did.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:  
Wynn sat at the end of the bed for an hour just staring at Darius.  
When she looked at the clock, it read 5:00. He wasn't waking up any  
time soon. Wynn wanted to spend the night with him, so she figured  
she should go back to sleep. She leaned down and kissed Darius on the  
cheek.  
"I love you," she whispered.  
And with that, Wynn laid down and wrapped Darius' arm around her,  
snuggling close to him. It felt good to lay next to another person  
and it reminded her of when she was little. She used to snuggle with  
her mom and watch a movie before she went to bed.  
Wynn closed her eyes and fell asleep. Darius opened his eyes and  
laid there for a few minutes wondering if Wynn meant it when she said  
'I love you'. He decided her should ask her later on and went back to  
sleep.  
At 8:30, Wynn woke up to find Darius not beside her. She got out of  
bed and crept downstairs. She found the library door left open and  
there was a light shining out from it. Wynn knew Darius would be  
angry with her if she went in there, but she really wanted to go in.  
"Wynn? What are you doing?"  
"Darius! I'm not going in, I swear!"  
"Wynn, honey, it's okay. You know enough of my life to go in there now."  
"I can go in?"  
"Yes, love, you can."  
Wynn took hold of Darius' elbow and the couple walked into the room.  
The walls were covered with book of all sizes. On tables all around  
the room were beakers and test tubes filled with various liquids.  
"Darius, what is all of this?"  
"They are experiments I have been working on for several years. I am  
trying to find a way to raise the blood content in a vampire's body."  
"What good will that do? Make vampires more blood hungry?"  
"No. If I can raise the level of blood in our bodies, vampires will  
not need to feed off of humans anymore and rarely will we need any  
form of blood. Vampires will only need blood every so often and  
blood-lust will never control us again."  
"What about those who can control themselves, like you?"  
"No vampire can control themselves very long, Wynn. You were at the  
ball; you know what can happen."  
"Oh, I understand. You can't help being like the rest of them, but  
you can hide it for a short amount of time."  
"Exactly."  
"So, should I be afraid of you, Darius? Should I run from you and  
never come back?"  
"No, no, Wynn. I'm trying to tell you that with Valen dead; a new  
leader needs to rise. I won't be able to be the same Darius unless-"  
His voice trailed off leaving Wynn to wonder what he was going to say.  
"Unless what, Darius?"  
"Unless Kaden can prove himself worthy of the title. That's not easy."  
"He helped kill Valen, so that should help, right?"  
"I suppose it could. Hmmm...I'm going to the council tonight to be  
given the title. I'll take Kaden and refuse the title. After I  
refuse, he can step in."  
"Say the word, my brother, and I will do as you say."  
Kaden was standing at the door of the library, smiling.  
"How long have you been standing there, brother?"  
"Quite some time, actually. I will take our father's place if you wish it."  
"You will?"  
"I will. I am ready for that responsibility."  
"Brother, you are a life savor."  
"I know, Darius; you owe me though."  
"How? Name your price."  
"Dana."  
"Dana? Kaden, you can't be serious!"  
"I am brother."  
"Darius! Who's Dana?"  
"One of my servants, Wynn. I've recently turned her and saved her  
from death. She's the most beautiful servant in my house."  
"It's Dana, or I take no title."  
"Fine. DANA!"  
Just then, a girl who was 5'2", had long blonde hair and eyes that  
were one green and one black, came into the room. She was smiling, as  
were all of Darius' servants, but, as soon as she laid her eyes on  
Kaden, her face grew pale.  
"M-master, y-you called?"  
"Yes, I did. I believe you know Kaden."  
"I do." she whispered.  
"Kaden, you can take it from here."  
"Thank you, my brother. Dana, my love, tonight I will go to the  
council with my brother and acquire the title that my father left  
behind. Afterwards, you will come with me, to my manor."  
"W-what?"  
"Dana, you are no longer my servant. After Kaden, and myself, go to  
the council, we will return and you will leave."  
"Oh, thank you!"  
Dana rushed over and wrapped her arms around Darius, hugging him.  
"Come, my brother, we leave for the council."  
Wynn and Dana waved as the two leapt out the window, flying away from  
the manor. Dana turned to Wynn and began talking.  
"Are you a new servant in the manor?"  
"No, I'm not. I'm actually a guest."  
So, then, you are Darius' love! He's told every servant of his love for you!"  
"He has? Well, I-"  
"Do you love him? He's sweet, but, do you love him?"  
"Yes, Dana, I do. I love him more than I've ever loved anybody else  
I've ever known."  
"Well, that's good because he couldn't love you very well if you  
didn't love him back."  
"How old are you?"  
"20 years. I don't look it, though, because Master Darius turned me  
when I was 14."  
"Oh. That's why you're so small."  
"Yes, that's why."  
"Do you like being immortal? I wish I was an immortal."  
"There are ups and downs to the whole thing. It's nice being able to  
live forever, but blood-lust is the worst."  
"It is?"  
"Yea, it is. Darius says that you have to learn to control yourself  
in times when there isn't anything to be-"  
"Stop, please. I understand."  
For two and a half hours, Dana and Wynn talked about everything. From  
shopping to immortality, the two became closer and closer until Wynn  
decided something.  
"Dana, I want to give you something."  
"What?"  
Wynn stood up and walked over to the dresser. She opened the jewelry  
box and pulled out the emerald green pendant. She clasped the chain  
around Dana's neck.  
"Wynn, it's beautiful!"  
"I bought that earlier this morning, but I think you should have it."  
"Thank you. I don't have any jewelry."  
"Then that should start you out for your new life with Kaden."  
Darius and Kaden walked in and saw Wynn standing in front of Dana who  
was sitting on the bed.  
"Having fun you two?"  
"Yes, Darius." they replied in unison.  
"Dana, my love, you and I shall go home to my house."  
"You have a good evening, my brother. You too, Dana."  
"Thank you, we will."  
Kaden held Dana by the waist and leapt out the window and flew away.  
Darius walked over to Wynn, who was looking out the window, and  
wrapped his left arm around her waist.  
"What did you two talk about?"  
"Everything we could think of. She told me that being immortal  
wasn't all I thought it was."  
"Well, sometimes it isn't everything in the world. Immortality can  
seem like a curse."  
Wynn was silent; she didn't know what to say. She wanted  
immortality; she wanted to have Darius forever. Wynn had been alone  
for two years, and then she found someone she could be happy with.  
Sure, he was part of her enemies, but he loved her, too.  
It was nearing midnight and the moon was full, so Darius and Wynn  
stood at the window until the glimmering warning of sunrise made them  
turn away.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:  
It was noon when Wynn woke up. Since when did she go back to those  
hours? Weeks had gone by and now it was the middle of November.  
Kaden and Dana hadn't come around since the throne had been given to  
Kaden. Darius was sleeping in his bedroom; he had been up longer than  
Wynn and was worn out. He was in the library working on his  
expirements that whole night.  
Wynn realized that she wasn't going to be able to sleep. She was too  
upset; Darius was never around anymore. He was always gone either  
feeding or working in the library. It seems as though he had  
forgotten all about her. Wynn sat on her bed and cried. She wished  
Darius wasn't always gone. Sure, Gina was around some of the time and  
Wynn even helped her with the cleaning and other things. Still, Gina  
was often busy too; Wynn didn't have anybody with her. While she was  
crying, somebody knocked on the door; Wynn quickly dried her tears.  
"C-come in."  
"Wynn?" It was Darius. "Are you okay, Wynn? I was sleeping and I  
heard you crying."  
"I'm fine, Darius."  
"Are you sure? You don't look 'fine' to me."  
Darius walked over and sat on the bed; he yawned. He was shirtless  
and it was obvious that he was tired. Wynn turned from him trying  
hard not to think about it; it didn't work.  
"Wynn," he said as he took her hand in his. "I'm sorry I haven't  
been around much. I know I've been busy, but I really think that the  
expirements are working. I really think they are."  
Wynn layed down on the bed ignoring him; hopeing he would leave. She  
knew he could read her thoughts and wished he would obey them.  
"I'm not leaving, Wynn. In fact, I'm staying here and going back to  
sleep. I'm too tired to walk back."  
"Can't you flash back?"  
"Too tired to flash. Goodnight."  
Darius layed down on the bed next to Wynn and pretended to fall  
asleep. Wynn rolled over and pulled his arm around her, snuggling  
close to him. He rolled over and smiled at her; his arm was still  
around her.  
"Do you forgive me, then?  
"I guess so."  
"Good. Go to sleep, love. You'll be tired if you don't."  
Wynn instantly fell asleep on Darius' chest; Darius feel asleep  
almost immediately after her. At 2:00, Wynn woke up, hungry. She  
shook Darius awake.  
"Darius! I'm hungry, Darius!"  
"Wynn! I'm sleeping! Go to the kitchen and get something to eat.  
Gina should be down there."  
"Oooo, you!"  
She picked up her pillow and smacked Darius on the head with it.  
"Hey! If you're so hungry, go downstairs and get something to eat!  
Don't hit me!"  
"Fine! I'll go alone."  
"So go; but I'm going back to sleep."  
Wynn jumped out of the bed, her stomach growling with hunger, and ran  
to the kitchen. She was in her pajamas, which included sweat pants  
and a t-shirt and this earned her a few odd glances.  
"Gina! Gina, where are you?"  
The little lady ran out, drying her hands on a dish towel.  
"What's wrong child?"  
"Gina, I'm starving! Can I have something to eat?"  
"Sure, honey, why not? Do you want some soup?"  
"Yea, that sounds good."  
"Alright, then come with me."  
Wynn followed Gina into the kitchen and was handed a bowl of soup.  
"Thank you. Uh, excuse me?"  
"Yes, miss?"  
"What kind of soup is this?"  
"Oh, it's miso soup. It's imported from Japan. Master Darius seems  
to like it, so we tend to make it often."  
"Thank you."  
"No problem, miss."  
Wynn took the soup to the dining room and sat down to eat it. While  
eating, she realized that she was still tired, so she wwent back  
upstairs. When she walked into the room, the clock read 4:12 pm.  
"It's only 4?! I guess I can sleep for a few hours."  
Wynn laid down on the bed, snuggling close to Darius. Soon she fell  
asleep. She slept heavily for hours, dreaming that Darius gave up on  
his expirements and spent time with her. While she was dreaming of  
what she wanted, Darius woke up. Rested and ready to go, he ran to  
his room, got dressed and ran to the main library. He had just  
realized the solution to his problems. However, when he got to the  
library, everything was gone! Oh sure, the books were still there,  
but his work; his expirements; gone. But where were they? And why  
were there scorch marks on the wall?  
"GINA! Where the hell is everything?  
Gina ran into the library, mumbling under her breath. When she  
noticed Darius glaring at her, she smiled her innocent little smile  
and explained why everything was missing.  
"You see, Darius, u-um, the expirements are gone be-because, well, well-"  
"Gina, what happened to my expirements?"  
"They caught on fire, Darius. Y-you were tired and spilt some  
chemical on the hot plates. We're lucky to have saved the books."  
"Why didn't the detector's go off?"  
"Oh, they did, Darius. They did go off, but you didn't wake up."  
"Damn it!"  
"I'm sorry, my Prince. Please, please don't be angry."  
"I'm not angry, Gina. Upset is the term for it. At least I can  
spend more time with Wynn. She really misses me."  
"You should take her out tonight. Maybe for a walk or something like  
that. She would like that; I'm sure of it."  
"Good idea, Gina. I will wake her now."  
"There's no need, Darius."  
Darius whipped around to find Wynn standing at the door gawking at  
the empty library. She had tears in her eyes; Darius could tell she  
was upset.  
"Your expirements...they're gone. What-what happened?"  
"It's alright, Wynn. they caught on fire; luckily, Gina and some of  
the others saved my books. Uh, what time is it?"  
"8:30. The sun is just setting."  
"Do you want to go watch it set, Wynn? We can sit on the balcony off  
of my room."  
"Your room? I've never been in your room."  
"Well, you can now. C'mon, let's go watch."  
Wynn followed Darius upstairs and into his room. Of course,  
she had never been in there before so, she was naturally nervous.  
When Darius opened the door, Wynn closed her eyes, afraid of what she  
was about to see. Would there be people in there? Would it be as  
ordinary as any other room? She was led into the middle of the room,  
guided by Darius' arm.  
"Wynn, you have to open your eyes. I can't lead you around  
forever darling."  
She slowly opened her eyes, syill fearful of what would be in  
the room; however, she found the room to be nothing more than a normal  
bedroom. It was gorgeous; everything was blood red, black or white.  
Nothing was messy and it had a very...feminine touch?  
"Do you have women in here often? It shows."  
"No, I don't. I just keep it like this because that's how my  
wife liked it before she died. I refuse to change it."  
"Oh, that makes sense, I guess."  
"Yea...well, the moon is waiting for us."  
Darius and Wynn walked to the balcony; when Wynn was fully  
outside, she realized that the balcony stretched from Darius' room to  
hers and stopped. It was slightly furnished, but didn't have more  
than some chairs down by her room.  
Darius stretched and breathed in the cool night air.  
"Ah, the cool autumn air. I love it."  
"Yea, it's nice."  
She was nervous and didn't know what to do. Wynn had never  
been on a balcony that high before and she was afraid to move.  
"You're scared, aren't you?" said a smiling Darius.  
"No, no, I'm not! Just-"  
"You can't lie to me Wynn." Wynn gulped and looked over  
theedge; she started to shake. "It won't fall! Calm down, darling."  
"I-I can't! I hate things like this!"  
"Come over here."  
"No way! I'm not moving anywhere!"  
"Fine then, I'll stay over here and you can be over there,  
alone, unprotected..."  
Hearing this, Wynn ran over to Darius and clung to his arm.  
Because the forest was so close to the house, Wynn was always in  
danger.  
"That's what I thought," Darius said. He laughed and wrapped  
his arms around Wynn.  
"Darius?"  
"Hm?"  
"When was the last time you fed?"  
Darius was shocked by the question and didn't know what to say.  
It was true that he hadn't fed in a couple weeks. He was too busy  
with his experiments; she knew that.  
"Well, I-"  
"I want to be with you forever, Darius."  
"Forever is a long time, Wynn."  
"I want to be immortal. Make me a vampire Darius!"  
"Wynn, you truly are insane! I'm not going to make you a  
vampire; absolutely not!"  
"Please Darius? Please?"  
"NO! It's dangerous, Wynn. I'm not putting you into that danger!"  
"I thought you said you loved me?"  
"I do love you , darling. That's why I'm not going to turn you."  
Wynn started to cry and ran out of the room. Darius listened  
for her and when he heard her door slam, he walked across the balcony  
to her room and knocked on the window. he waited a few minutes and,  
having no answer, knocked again.  
"Go away!"  
"Wynn, let me in. We need to talk."  
The window opened, revealing a very upset Wynn.  
"W-what do you want?"  
"I want to talk," Darius said as he climbed in the window.  
"Why do you want to be turned so badly, Wynn?"  
"B-because I want to be with you forever, Darius. If I die,  
you'll still be living. I'll never be with you again."  
She started crying again, so Darius pulled her into a hug.  
Resting his head on hers, he tried to calm her down.  
"Stop crying; it's alright. I just don't want you to be hurt  
like others were. Being immortal isn't all you may think it is. It's  
harder than it looks."  
"But you always are so laid back all the time."  
"I'm older, Wynn. I can handle it, now, but I still get worked up."  
"Like when?"  
"Just now, when you asked me to turn you, I got knotted all up.  
Didn't you notice?"  
"No, I didn't," she said as darius pulled her away from him and  
looked deep into her eyes.  
"Well, I was really upset. All I could think to say was 'No'.  
You're young, Wynn. You have everything to live for."  
"No I don't Darius! Haven't you noticed that nobody has come  
for me since I've been here?"  
"Yea, that's strange. Why hasn't anybody come for you?"  
"My parents are dead, Darius!," screamed Wynn. She was crying  
now and was sitting on her bed, so Darius sat next to her. He held  
her for hours until she stopped crying, all the while whispering:  
"I love you...I'm sorry."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:  
"Darius, you big jerk, get up!"  
"W-what? Hey I'm sleeping!"  
"It's 10:00 Darius; the night started without you!"  
"10, huh?," he asked with the blanket over his head.  
"Yea! And at midnight it'll be your birthday!"  
It was December 14th and there were only two hours left before Darius  
was 118. Wynn was very excited; she had a special surprise for  
Darius. Wynn had moved into Darius' room the night after she asked  
Darius to turn her and she was still asking every day.  
Darius promised her that on his birthday, he would take her out on  
the lake a few miles from his house. He knew of a little island-like  
place out there that he could easily reach by flying. And now that he  
promised, Wynn was going to hold him to it.  
"Wake up, Darius! I want to go to the lake!"  
"Fine! Fine! I'm up, okay?! Geez, you're loud!"  
"I know," Wynn said with a childish grin.  
"I see you're ready," he commented.  
"And I see you aren't. Hurry up! I'll meet you downstairs in 10 minutes."  
"Now you're timing me?"  
"Yes. So hurry!"  
Wynn ran downstairs to meet Gina, who was waiting in front of the  
main library for her.  
"It's all ready," Gina explained. "As soon as you two leave, we'll  
finish and it'll be perfect when you get back."  
"Thank you, Gina!," Wynn sais as she hugged the little old lady.  
"You're very welcome. Try to keep him out there as long as you can."  
"I will," she said. Wynn heard Darius shut the bedroom door and come  
downstairs.  
"Hi, Wynn. Uh, Gina, why is the spare room locked?"  
"Well, my prince, um, you see, there were, uh, mice in the room and  
it's being fumigated, you see."  
"Oh, alright then. Are you ready to go, Wynn?"  
"I am. I can't wait!"  
She followed Darius out the door and, before closing the door, she  
winked at Gina.

On the beach, three miles from the manor, Darius walked around  
looking for anybody who would see them. Satisfied, he walked back to  
Wynn. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he took off into the sky.  
Wynn, terribly afraid of heights, clung to Darius and squeezed her  
eyes shut.  
"Wynn, open your eyes! We're on solid ground now; it's safe."  
Wynn opened her eyes to find herself standing on a beach with the  
cleanest, whitest sand she had ever seen,  
"Wait a minute, there aren't any lakes in San Diego, are there?  
"This one's man-made, Wynn."  
"Oh," she said with a laugh. "I get it now."  
Wynn was sitting on the sand watching the stars. As she sat there, a  
shooting star passed by.  
"Oh, Darius, look!"  
"Make a wish," he said. Wynn closed her eyes and made her wish.  
"What did you wish for?"  
"I can't tell you! But I really hope it comes true."  
One minute Wynn was watching the stars reflect off of the water; the  
next, Darius was in front of her.  
"Wynn? D-do you think that I'll become like my father? And tell me  
the truth, okay?," he asked.  
"Your father was pretty cruel. Youdon't seem like that at all.  
Anyway, I don't think you will."  
"That's what I thought. Thank you, Wynn."  
"Your welcome." There was a long pause befoe either of them said a  
word. The night was cooling down more than usual and Wynn was  
starting to shiver, so Darius wrapped his arm around her and pulled  
her close. Then in an instant, he brought her face to his and kissed  
her.  
It seemed that they were sitting there forever before Wynn broke the  
kiss. She was blushing and biting her lip.  
"Uhh, I think we should go home now, Darius."  
"Are you sure?" She nodded without making eye contact.  
"O-okay. I'll take you home." Darius picked her up bridal style and  
flew her home. When they got back to the mansion, Darius led Wynn  
inside. "Why is it so dark?"  
"Because everyone's asleep, silly! Come on, I have something to show  
you; I think you're going to like it."  
Wynn led Darius up the stairs and to the very storage room that Gina  
had locked.  
"We can't go in there; it's locked."  
"Yes I can. Now close your eyes!"  
Darius closed his eyes and waited for Wynn to open the door and take  
him inside.  
"Okay! can I open my eyes now?"  
"Yes. Open them."  
He opened his eyes and gasped. Before him was an entire room of  
equipment to start over on his experiments.  
"Where did this come from? Wynn, did you-"  
"Happy Birthday! Oh, and it wasn't all me. It was my idea, but Gina  
and the rest of them did the work."  
"Wow, I can't believe this! Why did you do this?"  
"Because you were so bummed when your work was destroyed. I had to  
do something about it."  
Gina was standing by watching Darius' reaction and started laughing.  
"If you weren't so stubborn, the hot plate wouldn't have gotten  
chemicals spilled on it!"  
"Oooo Gina, you little-"  
"Now, now, let's not be hostile to your most faithful servant," Gina  
said as she bowed to Darius.  
Gina walked out of the room laughing and headed toward the kitchen.  
"Do you like it, Darius?"  
"It has to be the best birthday present I've ever gotten in the whole  
118 years I have lived. I couldn't have asked for anything better,"  
Darius said. He leaned in and kissed Wynn on the cheek. "Thank you."  
Wynn blushed and turned to start walking away, but Darius stopped  
her. He then whipped her around and kissed her. Wynn pushed him away  
and ran out of the room crying. Darius stood in the middle of the  
room, dumbfounded. After standing there wondering for a while, he  
took off looking for wynn.  
"Wynn! Wynn!--Gina, where's Wynn?"  
"She ran to her room. Why was she crying?"  
"I have no clue!," he yelled. Darius took off running towards Wynn's  
room, the door was locked. "Wynn, please open the door!"  
"He heard shuffling inside the room and the door lock clicking again  
and again; he tried to turn the knob.  
"Wynn! What did I do? All I did was-"  
"It doesn't matter! Mind your own business, Darius!"  
"You didn't care when I kissed you earlier. What's different about  
now? What changed?"  
The lock clicked and opened to a very dark room. Darius could see  
Wynn running and jumping on her bed and hiding her face in one of the  
many giant pillows.  
"Wynn, sit up," Darius said. When Wynn didn't sit up, he carefully  
walked over and sat, legs crossed, on the end of the bed. For fifteen  
minutes he sat there, waiting. Finally, Wynn spoke to him with a  
voice muffled by the pillow.  
"Do you want to know why I care now? Earlier I wasn't thinking. I  
just let you kiss me and I kissed you back. I didn't realize that  
every time I kiss you...I-I fall in love with you more."  
"Wynn-"  
"I don't want to fall in love if it'll just end when I die! There,  
youknow. Now leave me alone!"  
"Fine, I'll go. Whenever you decide to finally grow up, come out, ok?"  
Darius walked quickly out of the room and shut the door. Wynn  
listened as he stormed down the hallway with servants chasing him  
screaming, "Master Darius!" All he said was, "Get the hell away from  
me!" She heard his bedroom door slam.  
"Grow up? Me, grow up! I am perfectly grown up thank you! How dare  
he expect me to melt into his arms like everbody else and-and..."  
Wynn heard a noise out on the balcony. How could she see what was  
going on? The window! Wynn ran to the window and quietly opened it.  
She poked her head outside and was shocked to see Gina and Darius  
sitting on the floor of the balcony. Gina had her arms wrapped around  
his head and Darius was sobbing like a little kid.  
"What am I going to do Gina? I can't give her what she wants; it's  
too dangerous. She doesn't think I love her and she refuses to fall  
in love with me."  
"Darius, honey, she is a baby. I'm sure she really loves you, but  
there is one problem. You are immortal. She'll get older and older  
and you'll stay the same. I've talked to her, Darius; Wynn is afraid  
of everything that's going on."  
"But, I don't want her to have to go through what I go through. It's  
painful sometimes."  
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but-What was that?"  
'Oh no!' Wynn thought. She had accidently dropped a trinket out the  
window and now all attention was turned to her. Quick as lightining,  
she disappeared into the room and sat on the bed facing the door.  
"Go talk to her, Darius. I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Alright. Bye, Gina."  
When Gina was gone, Darius shut the doors leading to the balcony and  
locked them. He walked to the window that led to Wynn's room and  
looked inside. Wynn was sitting on her bed hugging her knees and in  
deep thought.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Huh? Oh, hi Darius. Yea I guess I'm fine."  
"You were listening to me and Gina?"  
"Yeah...um, sorry about doing all this on your birthday."  
"No, no! My birthday was great. I had a lot of fun tonight. Gina  
said that we should talk. Come out here."  
Wynn got out of bed and walked to the window. Darius helped her  
crawl out; when she was out, she shut her window. When she was  
turning away, the lock clicked.  
"Don't worry we can fix it inside."  
"But the dorr's locked."  
"I can fix it, darling! Just trust me, okay?"  
"Fine. What are we talking about?"  
"About what you want. You want to become immortal, but I can't see  
why. Gina says you love me but you just told me you didn't want to  
love me!"  
"No, I didn't say that! I said I didn't want to love you if I  
couldn't love you forever! I didn't say I didn't want to love you at  
all!"  
"Then what do you want?"  
"I want you to love me like I love you!"  
"I do love you, Wynn! Do you not understand that? I won't make you  
immortal because I love you!"  
"Why? Why can't you turn me? I want to be with you forever. For-EVER!"  
"I-"  
"No! No 'I', no 'but'! Would you just think about it?"  
"Yea, I'll think about it. I'll be right back."  
Darius ran into his room and the next thing Wynn knew, he was at her  
window waving to her to come in. She ran to the window, with Darius'  
help, climbed inside.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:  
As Wynn climbed in the window, the sun was starting to rise; Darius  
backed away as Wynn closed the window and the curtains. When the  
curtains were closed, Darius slowly stepped out of his hiding place in  
the shadows.  
"Wynn, I want to take you somewhere in the castle that I've never  
shown anybody. I haven't even shown this place to Gina."  
"Oh, well alright. Where is it?"  
"The tower. In the older days, when Valen owned this house, the  
tower was used to torture mortals until death."  
They had begun walking through the hallways and Darius continued to  
explain the use of this mysterious tower, but he was interrupted by  
Wynn.  
"Why were they tortured?"  
"Well, Valen would torture them if they found out who, and what, he  
was; if they were tortured and lived, no one would know. If they were  
tortured and died, nobody would find out."  
"Oh."  
They reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the tower. As the  
began to asend the stairs, Darius continued to explain the  
significance of the tower.  
"When Valen decided that I knew too much, me and my friends were  
brought up here. I was fascinated by Valen; his power, his greatness.  
He tortured and killed my friends; when he got to me, I laughed at  
him."  
"You laughed?! What did he do?"  
"He laughed, too. Darling, Valen turned me up here. This is my bith  
place, Wynn. I was made here."  
Darius walked slowly up the cement stairs and ran his hands along the  
cold stone walls. He seemed to be pondering; remembering.  
"I can still hear their screams. It hurts me to know that while my  
firends were tortured and killed, I was made into one of their very  
murderers."  
"Their very murderers? You mean you killed them?"  
"I killed one of them...but she wasn't a friend. I didn't even know her."  
"What did she do?"  
"Nothing. She just "knew" it all." He stopped at the door and  
sighed a deep sigh. "She loved valen, or, just said she did. Valen  
was about to turn her when she told the news reporters that real  
vampires lived in the house. He convinced her to call the  
investigation off and he said she would die for breaking her promise.  
"After he turned me, Valen brought her out and gave her to me as my  
first. I killed her Wynn; she was just your age. Anyway, that's  
past. Come along. I want you to see up here."  
After hearing the story about the girl, Wynn expected to see a dingy,  
cold, old torture chamber. However, when the wooden door creaked  
open, it wasn't an old stone chamber. Instead it was a fully  
furnished and very lavish and beautiful room. Out of all the rooms in  
the mansion, this tower was the most beautiful. Wynn was stunned at  
the sight of everything.  
"Thi-this is supossed to be a torture chamber!"  
"No, I said it was a torture chamber when Valen lived here. When he  
left and the house was given to me, I hated this room. So, I secretly  
furnished it. I ordered furniture, had it shipped by day, and i  
'decorated by night'."  
"It's gorgeous, Darius! I can't believe this!"  
"Believe. Look out the window, love."  
Wynn walked to the windo and peered out at the land below her. She  
had an almost complete arial view of that beautiful garden and the  
fountain, standing ancient and glorious, was the centerpiece of it  
all.  
"Wow! The garden looks so much bigger than when I walked through it!"  
"Wynn, do you really want me to make you immortal?"  
"Why?"  
"Well, I'm thinking that you won't give up until I give in. You seem  
to be very stubborn about this."  
"I know. After hearing the story about what happened to that girl-"  
"Let me ask you something. Are you going to have reporters come  
watch if I say yes?"  
"I wasn't planning on it."  
"Then you have nothing to worry about."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Close the window."  
Wynn did as she was told and closed the window. After it was shut,  
Darius stepped out of the shadows and closer to Wynn.  
"What did you mean by 'you have nothing to worry about'?"  
"I meant yes. I will make you immortal if you want me to. I love  
you, Wynn; I will do anything to prove that to you."  
"You-you'll turn me?"  
"Do you want me to? I will if you ask me."  
"Turn me, Darius!"  
Darius walked over and kissed her. When he broke the kiss, she  
looked at him with eager eyes.  
"You want it that bad?"  
"I do!"  
"Fine. You want it, you've got it."  
Darius pulled Wynn to him and held her tightly.  
"Are you nervous?"  
"Just a little, but I'm ready, and waiting."  
Darius brought his face closer to Wynn's neck and took a deep breath.  
In his mind he counted to three; then bit down on her neck. Slowly,  
he drew a tiny amount of blood, letting the venom from his teeth seep  
into the wound. When he drew away, he bit his wrist and motioned to  
Wynn.  
"You need to drink this, love. It'll help."  
She did as she was told and drank the blood running from Darius'  
wrist. When she pulled away to look at Darius, she fainted into his  
arms. After picking her up and carrying her to a couch in the tower,  
Darius sat in a dark corner and slept.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:  
Wynn awoke several hours later with a sharp pain in her stomach.  
What was it? She could barely recall every detail that had happened  
the night before; she didn't remember. As she looked around, she  
realized she wasn't in her room.  
"This is strange. How did I get in here?"  
A door creaked and Wynn looked around to find out where it came from.  
She saw darius walk into the room. When he noticed her sitting up,  
he laughed.  
"You look startled, Wynn. What's wrong?"  
"Where am I? This is definitely not my room."  
"What? Wynn, we're in the tower, love. Don't you remember?"  
She shook her head and Darius sat down next to her.  
"Sweetie, I turned you last night. You passing out must have messed  
up your memory."  
"You turned me last night? As in I'm-I'm a vampire?"  
"Yes, love."  
"Oh, well, I am going downstairs to get something to eat."  
"Why?"  
"Because my stomach hurts."  
"Well so does mine," Darius said with a laugh. "Love, you're not  
hungry for food; you are hungry for blood."  
"Blood?"  
"Well, yea. That sharp pain means you're hungry."  
Darius opened the window revealing a beautiful starry sky.  
"Shall we?" He extended his hand to Wynn who immediately took a hold of it.  
Darius took her to the window and took off into the air.  
"Where are we going?"  
"There's a club around here that is filled with perverts and bad men.  
This is where I usually come; and now that I have you, we can lure  
them easier. I don't need to pick fights with them anymore. Ah, here  
we are."  
While darius was explaining where they were going, thay had arrived  
at the club. It was a dance club; there were men and women streaming  
in and out the doors. Wynn could hear a girl screaming.  
"Darius, do you-"  
"Shh! I hear her. With the music playing, we're the only ones who  
can hear her. Listen, tell me how many guys you think there are."  
Wynn blocked everything out but the girl's screams and the men's voices.  
"There's three men; two are armed."  
"Do you think you can handle one?"  
"Maybe."  
"Alright then, let's go."  
Darius led Wynn through the shadows in the ally to where three  
dangerous looking men were tying up a woman. She seemed to be around  
30 while the other men were 40 or so.  
"Hey!," Darius yelled. "Pick on someone with your own stupidity!"  
The three men threw themselves at Darius. He grabbed two and pinned  
them against the wall while Wynn jumped out of the shadows and onto  
the third one's back.  
"Run, girl!," Darius shouted. The girl ran yelling her thanks.  
Darius knocked the two guys out and motioned to Wynn to finiah off the  
guy she knocked out.  
Wynn and Darius finished with the men and, leaving them in the ally,  
walked out of the ally. They walked down the street just as casually  
as everyone else out that night and pretended that nothing had ever  
happened.  
"Do you feel better, Wynn?"  
"Much better, thank you."  
"Well we saved one life today," Darius said with a laugh.  
"We deserve medals, or money, or something."  
Darius grabbed Wynn's hand and held it as they walked home. When  
they finally arrived home, Gina was up and waiting for them.  
"Where have you two been? I've been worried sick!"  
"Relax, Gina. We've been out and now, we're going to bed."  
Darius and Wynn walked, hand in hand, to the stairs and, while  
walking up, Wynn asked him a question.  
"Are you going to tell her? About me, I mean."  
"Soon love, soon. Not tonight, though. I might get yelled at.  
Let's wait until it gets slightly obvious that you're different."  
"Good idea." Wynn yawned and Darius picked her up, carrying her to  
his bedroom. He set her down gently on the bed and covered her up.  
Darius took off his shoes and jacket and lay down beside Wynn.  
Gently and lovingly, he kissed her on the forehead.  
"I love you," he whispered.  
For he knew that true love was wonderful, but immortal love was even  
better. Immortal love was forever...

Forever...


End file.
